Dear Abby: Kids lobby mom to return long-overdue child support

Dear Abby: I’m a divorced and remarried mother of two adult children. Both live on their own and have decent jobs. After the divorce, I managed to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table and provide college for my children. My ex-husband, their father, sporadically paid child support, which resulted in an arrearage owed for the past nine years.

Recently, I received a substantial sum of the balance I was owed for back child support. My dilemma is that my children feel that because their father is having financial problems (finances were always his issue), I should give the money back to him because I am financially secure.

Abby, they are ignoring everything I had to do to support them while they were still dependents and my responsibility, and he said he didn’t have any money.

I feel I have every right to keep the money. I have told this to my kids, but they are mad at me because I can’t seem to get the message across. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. – Flustered in Florida

Dear Flustered: You were divorced from this man for good reason. Your responsibility to him ended when the divorce was finalized. What you have received for shouldering the entire responsibility for raising your children is yours and yours alone. Do not apologize to anyone for what you prefer to do with the money.

Dear Abby: I love my sister. She’s well-educated, intelligent and fun, but she has let herself go. We are both in our 60s and, unfortunately, those pesky whiskers are starting to appear on our faces. She recently had surgery and when I visited her, I noticed a lot of hairs sprouting from her chin. I offered to pluck them or take her to a spa and have them removed when she had a facial. She refused!

Should I just let it go or, the next time I see her, remind her that many people would be put off if they saw her? Or is it just me? – Whiskerless Sister

Dear Whiskerless: It’s not “just you.” Not knowing your sister, I can’t say whether she was in so much pain from her surgery that she didn’t want to add to it by being plucked.

Talk to her again when she’s feeling better and she may offer up her chin. If not, love her the way she is – fur and all – because she’s happy that way.